By Zivanai Dhewa

A Canadian Company, B2 Gold Mine Corporation is set to re-open the recently folded Shamva Gold mine, the Harare Post can reveal.

Following the recent shut down of Shamva Gold Mine, B2 Gold Corporation has expressed its interests in purchasing the now defunct gold mine and is willing to pay US$80million for it.

B2 Gold Corporation sent three Geologists and Engineers on 9 April to carry out the geological exploration and designing of the mine.

After their survey, the geologists revealed that the mine, if properly retooled and resuscitated, has a capacity of producing up to four times the 30 000tons of gold ore that the mine used to produce per month.

Shamva Mine was being leased by Metallon Gold Zimbabwe by its owner, Mzilikazi Khumalo.

Mine Manager, Alfred Chinyere said, “Mzilikazi Khumalo who is the owner is unwilling to settle the company’s debt which amounts to RTGS$31million.

Chinyere further added that “the company’s debts have culminated in the non-payment of workers since April 2015 and also failure to pay licence fees to the government.”

The now unemployed mine workers have been complaining about the inhabitable conditions at the mine, which has led to health and safety risks and are eagerly waiting for the resuscitation of the Mine with the hope of improving their livelihoods through employment creation.

Meanwhile, the government has been able to sign up and launch new gold mining investors such as the re-opening of the Eureka gold mine in 2018 which re-opened with a total capital injection of US$60million and is expected to contribute about 1.5 tonnes of gold annually when it reaches its full production capacity.  Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Winston Chitando has informed the nation of steady increase of gold production totalling 1.5 tonnes monthly with some of it being credited to artisanal miners.